Why ‘Alaska’?

*Architectural renderings are used with the permission of Will Alsop, September 11 2013

Why would a developer apply to insert a condo of such outrageous scale and design onto the southeast corner of Yonge and Strathgowan?

That’s the question supporters of the Uptown Yonge Neighbourhood Alliance are asking.

The development, named ‘Alaska’ by the British architect Will Alsop, flagrantly disregards the zoning by-law for height and density as well as key City recommendations for mid-rise buildings.

As proposed,

The building would be 11-storeys high, nearly double the by-law for height.

The building would consist of an 8-storey main structure topped by a 3-storey box. The box would project forward to the Yonge Street property line, in violation of the City’s recommendation for step-backs on the front façade.

The entrance and exit to the underground parking as well as a loading dock would be located on Strathgowan Avenue, a narrow and already congested side street.

We strongly object to the current proposal for the ‘Alaska’ condominium because it violates key policies and recommendations in the Official Plan, the zoning by-law, and the Avenues and Mid-Rise Buildings Study.

Our objections to the development are founded upon three critical issues: